1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to stringed musical instruments, and more particularly to a new musical instrument that allows guitar and bass notes to be played simultaneously while retaining the separate functionality of either or both a regular guitar and bass guitar.
2. Preliminary Discussion
Traditionally, a guitar and bass guitar, frequently referred to merely as a bass, have been separate instruments, with both instruments being available in acoustic or electric versions, although a bass is more often found in an electric version than in an acoustic version. A typical acoustic guitar has a hollow body and between six and twelve strings, a standard electric guitar has a solid body and six strings, and a standard electric bass guitar, or bass, has a solid body and four strings.
An electric bass is essentially an electric guitar modified to hold heavier-gauge strings to facilitate the playing of lower-pitched notes. Guitar and bass strings are usually ordered from lowest to highest, based on thickness. The traditional six string guitar notes, in order from lowest to highest, are low E, A, D, G, B, and high E, while the traditional bass notes, in order from lowest to highest, are E, A, D, and G. The bass notes are typically identical to the bottom four guitar string notes, but one octave lower. The frequency of vibration of the standard A string on a guitar is 110 vibrations per second, or 110 Hertz (Hz). The lowest note on a standard guitar is E at 83 Hz. However, a bass guitar can typically play down to 41 Hz. A twelve string acoustic guitar is usually tuned to the same notes as a six string guitar but having pairs of adjacent strings tuned to the same note, resulting in the string pattern E, E, A, A, D, D, G, G, B, B, E, E. Each pair can be tuned in unison, with each string in a pair having the same pitch, or alternatively tuned to give the same note but one octave apart. The primary advantage of a twelve-string acoustic guitar over a six-string acoustic guitar is that having twelve strings produces a much fuller and richer sound than six strings.
Plucking or strumming the strings of an acoustic guitar or bass applies energy to the strings, causing them to vibrate. Although the string vibrations alone do not create sound waves that can be clearly heard, such vibrations are transferred via the saddle and bridge over which the strings pass to the top plate body of the instrument and are amplified by the hollow body or soundbox. The body vibrates in sympathy with the strings and transmits the vibration of the bridge into a more audible vibration of the air around it.
An electric guitar has a solid rather than a hollow body so that the body does not vibrate in sympathy with the strings. Instead, pickups placed under the strings convert the vibrations into electronic signals, which are then amplified by a loudspeaker.
The pitch or tone of a vibrating string is determined almost entirely by the frequency. High frequency results in a high pitch, while low frequency results in a low pitch. The pitch or frequency of a vibrating string is dependent on several factors. First, the size of the string is important, since more massive strings vibrate more slowly resulting in a lower pitch. Second, the tension on a string, which can be changed using the tuning pegs or machine heads, can change the frequency. The tighter or more tension on a string, the higher the pitch. Third, the pitch is dependent on the length of the string free to vibrate. For example, firmly holding a string against the fingerboard will shorten the string, giving it a higher pitch. Finally, the pitch is affected by the mode of vibration.
Often, a band or musical group performing live requires the sounds produced by both a guitar and bass to play a song or composition. To accomplish this, usually a separate bass and guitar must be used. It is not uncommon for musicians to learn to play both a guitar and bass so they can switch instruments throughout a performance depending upon the type of sound that is required by a particular song. There are many instances, however, when a song requires both guitar and bass sounds to be played simultaneously, or at least closely following. In such instances, a musician cannot simply switch instruments, which is distracting, takes time, and is generally impractical. In addition, this also requires a musician to carry both a guitar and bass at all times, or, if guitar and bass sounds are to be produced simultaneously, two different musicians must be present. Thus, there is a need for an instrument which can play both guitar and bass sounds simultaneously, thereby giving musicians the flexibility to play a wider range of songs or notes as required. The present inventor has recognized this need and, after much experimentation, has developed a new instrument which combines the traditional guitar and bass in a manner which allows chords including both guitar and bass notes to be played simultaneously, in rapid succession, or even separately, without having to switch instruments or take other time-consuming or impractical steps.
3. Description of Related Art
While traditionally a guitar and bass have been separate instruments, the prior art exhibits numerous altered or enhanced guitars, including a few combination guitar and bass instruments. However, none of such instruments combines a guitar and bass in the same manner as the present inventor so that the guitar and bass portions may be easily played simultaneously or separately. In addition, the construction of the inventor""s instrument results in a well-balanced instrument, which, unlike previous guitar and bass combinations, will continue to function properly over time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,101 issued to S. Santucci on Mar. 22, 1983, entitled xe2x80x9cCombination Guitar and Bass,xe2x80x9d discloses an electric guitar and bass having larger frets than those of a conventional guitar but smaller than conventional bass frets. The Santucci instrument is not capable of being played in the same manner as the present inventor""s instrument, since the six guitar strings and four bass strings in Santucci are in separate groups rather than arranged in a pattern which allows similar bass and guitar notes to be played simultaneously.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,233 issued to R. Benson on Nov. 20, 1984, entitled xe2x80x9cCombined Guitar and Bass Guitar Having Eight Strings,xe2x80x9d discloses an instrument in which two of the normal strings of a guitar and bass, G and D, are used in common such that a normal six string guitar and four string bass are combined into an eight string guitar and bass having four adjacent guitar and bass strings. As with the ""101 patent, the strings of the ""233 patent are not arranged to facilitate simultaneous playing similar guitar and bass notes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,887 issued to J. B. Bjerkas entitled xe2x80x9cString Instrument of Guitar Type,xe2x80x9d discloses a guitar-type instrument having a fingerboard designed to correspond to the keys on a piano keyboard, so that sheet music for the piano can be used. The Bjerkas instrument has between 4 and 13 strings, depending upon the skill or desires of the musician. In addition, the distance between the frets is larger than with a conventional guitar, making it possible to press down the string between the frets and obtain a note, giving the instrument a larger tone range. While the Bjerkas instrument is innovative, it does not disclose a combination guitar and bass.
Related U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,113,737 and 5,175,387 issued to A. Grerory and both entitled xe2x80x9cSeven String Electric Guitar,xe2x80x9d disclose an electric guitar having 24 frets, a standard set of six strings E, A, D, G, B, E, and a seventh string A. Such guitar also uses a particular xe2x80x9cvibratoxe2x80x9d head system to provide sustained sound, and has staggered headmachines of varying heights so that the tension in the strings can be more easily regulated.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,043 issued to R. D. Bowar on Dec. 3, 1996, entitled xe2x80x9cOvertone Enhancing Musical Instrument,xe2x80x9d discloses a ten-stringed acoustical guitar having adjustable baffles in the tone box to amplify the resolution of the musical overtones of the instrument when played. Bowar does not, however, disclose a combination guitar and bass.
Double-necked guitars are also known in the prior art, such as, for example, guitars combining an electric and acoustic guitar (U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,815 issued to G. Shockley), guitars having the necks facing in substantially opposite directions (U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,217 issued to R. Brody), or guitars with one of the necks being detachable (U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,910 issued to C. Soupios) or flexibly connected (U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,705 issued to J. Patterson), or even with the strings situated on more than one face of the neck (U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,526 issued to J. P. Hill). Although each of these instruments presumably enhances the range of notes available to a musician, the present inventor is not aware of any references showing an instrument having the particular advantages and features of his new instrument.
It is an object of the invention, therefore, to provide an instrument that functions as both a guitar and bass guitar.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an instrument that can function solely as a guitar.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an instrument that can function solely as a bass.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an instrument on which the strings are arranged such that similar guitar and bass notes can be easily played simultaneously or with a single stroke.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an instrument that allows for the effective playing of guitar and/or bass chords simultaneously by a single musician.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will become clear upon review of the following detailed description in conjunction with the appended drawings.
A new instrument is provided comprising a combination guitar and bass on which guitar and bass notes and chords can be easily played simultaneously while also retaining the individual functionality of separate guitar and bass instruments. In a preferred embodiment, an electric guitar is provided having ten strings arranged from left to right across the face of the instrument in the following order: E bass, E guitar, A guitar, A bass, A guitar, D guitar, D bass, D guitar, G guitar, B guitar. This order has two features not shown in previous stringed instruments. First, each bass string is adjacent to at least one guitar string of the same note, so that adjacent guitar and bass strings of the same note can be easily struck or played simultaneously without requiring the musician to change hand positions on the fingerboard. Second, each guitar string is adjacent to at least one other guitar string either tuned to the same note or a note following the traditional E, A, D, G, B, E string order of a guitar. For example, in the preferred embodiment the first E guitar string is adjacent to an A guitar string, which is the standard order found on a traditional guitar. This allows an E-A chord to be played as it would on a traditional guitar even with the addition of the bass strings. To accommodate the increased number of strings, the fingerboard is wider and longer than that of a traditional guitar, which also improves the balance of the instrument. Numerous other embodiments are also contemplated wherein the number of strings can be expanded to include a full complement of bass and guitar strings arranged following the same principles. In addition, acoustic versions of the instrument are also contemplated, as are other embodiments wherein bass strings may be repeating in the same manner as the guitar strings. The inventor""s instrument, having the ability to function as a standard guitar or simultaneously as a guitar and bass, is a significantly more versatile stringed instrument than is currently available which can be conveniently adapted to the needs or desires of the musician.